DHL Express' subsidiary to add five ex-Etihad A330-200Fs to its fleet

Aug 20, 2018: European Air Transport (EAT) Leipzig, a DHL Express subsidiary has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-200F, an ex-Etihad Crystal Cargo Aircraft (formerly A6-DCA). The plane was ferried from Abu Dhabi to Leipzig on August 14 this year.

The German cargo operator is due to receive the other four Etihad Crystal Cargo A330Fs that are currently in storage in Teruel, Spain.

The Arab carrier has effectively phased out all the A330Fs from its cargo fleet, transitioning to an all-Boeing 777F operation. Etihad withdrew these young A330s, delivered in 2014 at the beginning of the year as part of a major fleet reorganisation plan that aims to cut costs and streamline its cargo operation through a single-type fleet system. The planes have been in storage since January. Other than the Airbus A330Fs, the carrier also phased out its five Boeing 777-200 (ER) fleet. Etihad’s freighter fleet remains with five Boeing 777Fs, all of which are deployed on cargo flights from Abu Dhabi to India, the Far East, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, North/South America, and Europe.

In the meantime, Etihad is exploring ways to cooperate with its biggest competitor, Emirates. The Dubai-based giant has said it would explore ways to work more closely with struggling Etihad. Etihad’s new CEO, Tony Douglas, said that his airline will become “more rational” and that he would not shy away from axing routes that were “commercially unsustainable.”